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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1883 | 3 |
| 1884 | 6 |
| 1885 | 4 |
| 1886 | 1 |
| 1888 | 1 |
| 1889 | 3 |
| 1890 | 1 |
| 1891 | 4 |
| 1892 | 7 |
| 1893 | 4 |
| 1894 | 4 |
| 1895 | 4 |
| 1904 | 7 |
| 1908 | 1 |
| 1909 | 1 |
| 1910 | 1 |
| 1915 | 2 |
| 1916 | 2 |
| 1923 | 1 |
57 stories matching plug
- Newport Bought Its Fire Hydrants — Then Never Had Them Installed
The town paid for fire plugs in September, but the council never ordered the water company to set them. Now the work can't be done until spring — and the paper is warning that the town may pay for the delay.
- The Water Main Blowout on Lake Washington
A faulty metallic plug failed under pressure, exposing the vulnerability of Seattle's early water infrastructure.
- Seattle's Fire Drill Revealed a City Almost Defenseless Against Flames
A routine test of the fire department exposed feeble water pressure and sent two firemen to bed with serious injuries.
- The Battle for Belltown's Fire Engine
A citizen's fiery demand that the city stop hoarding firefighting resources in the business district and grant the northern residents the protection they pay for.
- Explosion at the Stump
A teamster's narrow escape after a misfired blast in his land-clearing efforts.
- The Heavy Hand of the Svea Saloon
A violent enforcement of 'house rules' leaves two patrons severely beaten by local hired thugs.
- Bagley Calls Out Selective Policing
A city council member accuses the police of targeting marginalized women while ignoring male-run gambling houses.
- The Tinderbox City: How Unprotected Seattle Lived in Fear of Fire
While the downtown core grew rapidly, many residential districts remained dangerously isolated from fire protection, leaving property owners in a literal state of vulnerability.
- The Hard-Won Fight for the Eight-Hour Day
While union machinists in Northern California celebrate a hard-won victory, their counterparts in the Pacific Northwest face strike-breakers and police intimidation.
- Tacoma Bans the Boxing Ring
Chief of Police Duley vows to keep the city free of prize fighters and the criminal element he believes they attract.
- A Flash at the Switchboard: Tacoma's Veteran Electrician Killed by 2,000 Volts
Peter Peterson, six years with the city light station, grabbed two live plugs at once. He was dead before doctors could even attempt a revival.
- The Pirate of Salmon Bay
A local captain confesses to scuttling his own schooner to collect insurance money, narrowly avoiding a death sentence due to a legal technicality.
- Seattle's Water Pressure Passes the Fire Test
High-pressure water from a new reservoir successfully cleared the skyline in a demonstration for city officials.
- Gamblers Threaten a Crusading Preacher
A Tacoma clergyman and the local newspaper face death threats after exposing a thriving municipal gambling underground.
- The Silent Screen Goes Dark in Richland
A local entrepreneur pulls the plug on the town's only movie theater after the community fails to support the expense.
- A Midnight Ditch Plugging in the Snoqualmie Valley
A water dispute near Tolt (now Carnation) turned neighbor against neighbor, with accusations that O'Leary plugged a shared ditch under cover of darkness.
- The Speedway Water War
A debate in City Hall reveals deep friction over municipal water usage for private recreation versus public benefit.
- The Stranger from Pike
An eccentric traveler’s awkward recovery of a lost hat becomes a temporary spectacle on Main Street in Walla Walla.
- The Unopened Wealth of Eastern Washington
University of Washington researchers argue that the state’s massive kaolin and feldspar deposits could transform Spokane into a ceramic powerhouse.
- Suspicious Blaze Destroys Local Brothel
A fire of unknown origin gutted a residence on the town's edge, leaving investigators with questions about potential arson after a kerosene can was discovered on-site.
- The Serpent Slayer of Chehalis
A man wanders into town wearing a top hat to battle a monster he believes is terrorizing the rail lines.
- The Ticking Gas-Pipe Scandal
A fearful day in the Burke building as an office worker discovers a 'bomb' left by a disgruntled typist.
- City Hall Left in the Dark
Rumors swirl that a power company pulled the plug on City Hall to spite the outgoing Mayor, but the company president insists it is just a post-fire technical issue.
- Lake Washington Water Flows Into the City
A new engineering milestone as city reservoirs are filled from the lake, promising both hydration and fire protection for a growing Seattle.
- The Shadow Over Seattle: A Councilman’s Scathing Exposé of Vice
In 1891, a fiery letter from C. B. Bagley to the Post-Intelligencer accused the mayor and police chief of being puppets to the city’s most notorious gamblers and saloon-keepers.